Sea of Ghosts
by Too Much Idea
Summary: A group of demigods in South East Asia received a prophetic dream and go on a quest to stop the force of evil from conquering the 'sea of ghosts'. Sets at around the same time as Trials of Apollo, mild spoiler. Mostly OC, some book character might mentioned.


"There won't be any monsters, if there is any it will be something that a new recruit like you can defeat alone." That what Thalia Grace said to me, the newbie, before sending me to South East Asia. "Relax, see it as some kind of vacation."

I know she's telling the truth, there's no way a person like her would tell a tell lie for the laugh, right? But that doesn't explain the six-or-seven foot tall Cyclops chasing me through the streets of Jakarta.

I met him by accident, like those romantic encounters in the movie. Unfortunately, the Cyclops is more interested in finding out what i taste like rather then my e-mail adress or phone number. Not like that i have one. Fair enough.

Anyway, we have been running and playing a deadly game of cat and mouse for half an hour or so i believe. The mortals only stare as me and the Cyclops run, pushing them aside to make a way. No anger, no confusion, no nothing. I don't know what the mist make us look like.

I don't fight back, I can but I won't. I don't have any good reason to say why I don't fight back, but the fact that I am scared to death (Let's hope it doesn't come to that).

I doubt my ability to shoot, doubting that I can shoot a good shoot that it down the same way my seniors did.

Then the doubt spreads out. Will I outrun him? Will I lose him? Can I run fast enough? Can I move that agile?

Before i get all my answers, a gigantic hand grabbed me from behind, the only thing that passed my mind is "Wow, i'm slow".

The Cyclops lifted me in front of that ugly face of his. Crooked teeth and big nose, one big eye staring at me with hunger.

"Half god," He licked his lips. "Such luxury! I will chop you down and ate a piece a day."

The Cyclops described to me the many ways he would cook and enjoy my meat, but my mind wanders off. Running, remembering something else.

A small town, somewhere in west coast. My first hunt, a week or so after she pledged my oath and left the camp. It was a Cyclops. Bigger and stronger and meaner than the ugly one holding me right now.

Thalia was barking orders, the lieutenants commanded their subordinates, the hunters followed the command. I did too. The Cyclops was twice or thrice bigger than us, stronger too. But we were smaller and faster. With careful dodge and precise shots, the hunters took him out quickly. "Hit them in the eye," Someone taught her. "When they are blind, take them out."

The hunter whispered the same sentence inside her head, pushing her to do something. I reached for my dagger, hidden in my waist. The Cyclops was too busy drooling over an image of warm Arteria stew for dinner that he did not notice the sharp blade coming down on his eyes.

The Cyclops yelped, my dagger went deep and hurt his eyes badly. I could tell, from how he let me go and started scratching his eye.

I fell to the ground, crawled back and kneeled. I grabbed my bow, took an arrow from my quiver and nocked it up.

Now where should i shoot it at? The head? The neck? The heart? Even if i do hit him, can it kill him instantly? The head of my arrow is made of celestial bronze, it should do the job.

While i am still arguing with myself, the Cyclops has realized what just happened. Blinded and reasonably angered, he started throwing punch and kick to swat me down.

"I know you here!" He screamed at a trash-filled garbage bin. He sniffed, "I can smell you!"

I'm insulted. I took a bath before i left the hotel!

Still scared, i took aim. The heart. There is no time, so i released my arrow. It flew, and for a moment i prayed to Apollo. He did not hear me, my arrow hit his fat belly and stayed there. The Cyclops roared in anger, clawing his eye and now finally able to pull my dagger out from his eye.

So i turned and ran, like a coward i am. As i ran, i heard the howl of a hellhound. Followed by another, and another one from further away.

Gods, Thalia Grace was very wrong.

I retreated to my hotel. A three-star hotel, a safe choice for an eternally teen foreigner in an unknown country. The monsters. Thalia promised that there won't be many, that they won't be strong. That the land is mystical and old and far from Olympus, that the mist is different and protected the demigods more than the west.

She's not lying. Everybody believed on the same thing, the East was (relatively) safe. Different from the West, which is practically a never ending battlefield and hunting ground as long as the Gods reside there.

I took a bath and attempted to use the Iris Message to report to Thalia, but the lamp is not enough to produce a rainbow. I could only wait for the sun. So i slept, making a note to myself to report at the first time in the morning. Thalia will realize how horrible things are doing, then sent me back to America.

Instead of dreaming of such, i found myself in the woods. The thick mist obscuring my view as if trying to hide the woods from an outside like me and the beautiful woman standing in front of me.

She was one of the prettiest women i had ever see in my life, someone of a divine beauty. She wore a pure white greek toga, approaching me as she walked through the mist that scattered and faded as she passed by it.

"Daughter of Hypno," she called. "I am sorry to intrude your dream. But there is something important, something that you should know."

"I should know?" I tilted my head.

She hushed, then whispered, "Listen. Listen carefully."

So i did, and soon i realize how there are whisperings. Not two or three, plenty. Voices, coming from inside the woods, from the trees. The shouted at each other, talking to one another, but then there is a pause and the woods talked to me in unison.

While the west are not looking, a storm looms over the east.

The tranquil peace broken, the facade is gone.

Five must depart, five must stop those who seek to conquer the sea of ghosts.

But one will fall to allow another to rise.

My face went cold. A prophecy. After all these months, a prophecy has finally come. To me, of all people. A quest.

"I wish you good luck, daughter of Hypno." The woman faintly smiles. "For the fate of the West now rest upon your shoulder, and the other four. Two of which urgently needs your help right now"

The mist thickens again, swallowing me, and i woke up.


End file.
